


war wounds

by bertee



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, Gladiators, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-09
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-15 17:59:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5794276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bertee/pseuds/bertee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gladiator!Jared and slave!Jensen take care of each other after a rough day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	war wounds

Jared's skin is still hot from the sun by the time he makes it back to his cell. 

The ache of his body is a pleasing one for the most part, a muscle deep reminder of his victory, but as he settles on his bunk, the sharper sting of his wounds grows clearer. The blood painting his collarbone is tacky and warm and as he eases his sweat-soaked gauntlets off his arms, his knuckles burn again at the grind of sand in split skin.

He's close to succumbing to sleep, to allowing his wounds to be a problem for tomorrow rather than for today, but his eyes barely close before there's a soft knock on his cell door.

He grunts a noise of approval, half-expecting Jeff to come chide him for letting the Gaul get the better of him with his shield, but relaxes into a smile when he catches sight of his visitor. 

"Jensen."

Locking the door behind him, Jensen looks up at the sound of his name but there's a smile on his face as he approaches. "Are you going to be grumpy today?"

Jared scowls. "I'm never grumpy."

Jensen raises an eyebrow as he sets his things down on the small table. He's well prepared, equipped with food, water, salves and bandages, but he stands empty-handed besides Jared's bed as he says, "Last month you told me I had hands like a clumsy sailor."

"Hey, I was in pain," Jared defended. "You kept poking me with a needle."

"I was stitching your wounds."

"In a very pokey way."

Jensen shakes his head but Jared's pleased to see him smile as he perches on the edge of his bed.

"On the bright side," Jared says, "I don't think there's anything that needs stitching today." He glances down at himself. "Except maybe my armor."

Jensen's hands move down him, his thumb tracing the split leather across Jared's thigh, and Jared explains, "Stray scythe. No real damage done."

"How about you let me be the judge of that?" Jensen says, patting his leg. "Lift."

It's an effort but Jared obeys. Jensen is quick and efficient as he strips him of what's left of his armor but Jared's body aches afresh when he settles back naked on his blankets. He's been naked in front of Jensen enough that modesty is no longer a concern and he closes his eyes with a sigh as Jensen wipes him down, sweeping away the dirt and the sweat and the blood with a cool wet cloth.

The cloth drops back into the water with a splash and Jared opens his eyes again to tease, "So, what's the verdict on the damage?"

"It's not too bad," Jensen relents. "A couple of those scratches could do with some salve and your knuckles are a mess." He takes one of Jared's hands in his, turning it over carefully to inspect the damage. "What did you do, try to punch out a statue?"

"You're hilarious, anyone ever tell you that?" Jared says sarcastically, giving Jensen's hand a playful squeeze. "I lost my sword. Punching was my best option." He flexes his fingers. "It's fine. Nothing feels broken."

Jensen makes a noise that's somewhere between sympathetic and judgmental and Jared grins as he props himself up on his pillows. The blood is drying on his cracked knuckles but he frowns when his gaze moves from his own bloodied hands to where a dark ring of bruises is visible on Jensen's wrist.

He grabs his arm before Jensen can get away and tugs him forward until the light from the tiny window catches Jensen's face, revealing the fresh bruising around his eye and the angry cut hiding on his temple. "You're hurt."

Jensen pulls his arm free, retreating to the table and out of the light. His hands tremble as he busies himself with the sticky salve. "And you're the picture of health?"

Ignoring the sarcasm, Jared pushes himself out of bed as he says, "I'm a gladiator. It comes with the territory."

Jensen's shoulders twitch in a tiny shrug. "I'm a slave," he says, quiet and defeated. "It comes with the territory too."

Resting his hands on Jensen's hips, Jared kisses under his ear as he tries to tamp down the anger burning in his chest. He likes the other slaves at the ludus, would never want to see any of them hurt, but the flare of protectiveness is unique to Jensen.

"Who?" he pushes.

He knows it's far from the first time Jensen's been hit but Jared has always been quick to correct any gladiators who try to take their frustrations out on the slaves.

"It doesn't matter." 

Jared opens his mouth, ready to explain just how much it matters that someone punched Jensen in the face for no reason, but Jensen turns to face him as he says firmly, "I know you're trying to help but it isn't your problem. You need to stay focused, not get distracted every time a slave gets slapped. We both remember what happened with Pellegrino."

A fresh burst of anger ignites at the memory. "He tried to-"

"I know," Jensen cuts in. "But you nearly died in the arena because you let him get killed instead of fighting as a team. Sorry if I'm not all that eager to pull a dagger out of your shoulder again."

Jared purses his lips at the sarcasm in Jensen's voice and Jensen softens as he leans up to kiss him. There's a graze on Jared's cheek from the sand and Jensen cups his jaw gently as he murmurs, "What can I do for you, master?"

There's a teasing undercurrent to his words and Jared leans in to bite playfully at his jaw as he says, "Aside from telling me who gave you the black eye?" 

Jensen tenses under his hands and Jared kisses him again, slow and soft. "I'm sorry. Forget it." He nuzzles under his jaw until Jensen laughs, squirming away from the tickle of his stubble, and then reaches past to snag a couple of chunks of carrot from the bowl of food. "Here."

Mindlessly, he pops one in his own mouth and puts the other to Jensen's lips. Jensen takes it gladly, pressing a kiss to the pads of Jared's fingers as he does so, and not for the first time, Jared considers breaking into the kitchen to get Jensen a decent meal of his own. Squeezing Jensen's ass through his tunic, he steps in closer as he reaches behind him to the table. "I'm good with sticking to a massage?"

Jensen rolls his eyes as he snags the oils from Jared's fingers. "You know massages are part of my regular duties, right?" he says, backing Jared towards the bed. Jared goes down hard, wincing at the pull at the gash on his collarbone, but is pleasantly distracted when Jensen settles astride his lap. "You have full access to special favors if you want."

With Jensen on his lap, there's no disguising how interested Jared is in their usual 'special favors' but he tries to ignore the press of his cock against Jensen's thigh as he asks, "You sure? I really am good with a massage if you're burned out."

Jensen rolls his eyes again and Jared grins in spite of himself. "Or not."

Jensen looks happier than he has all day when he pulls Jared into a kiss. After years of watching meek, subservient Jensen work at the ludus, the confidence of their first kiss was a revelation and one which Jared happily yields to again as Jensen licks past his lips. The kiss is firm and hungry, with Jensen's hands coming up to cup Jared's jaw as he rolls his hips against the jut of Jared's dick.

He dips his head to kiss Jared's neck when they break for air and Jared tilts his head back with a sigh as he slides his hands up Jensen's legs. His tunic is short at the best of times but it rides up further across his thighs as Jared inches his hands up to brush Jensen's dick. "Where's the oil?"

Jensen doesn't stop kissing him as he fumbles on the blankets for the small pot of oil and Jared coats his fingers before slicking his own dick and Jensen's. Jensen shivers at the first touch, knees spreading wider and hips grinding forward, and Jared captures his lips again in a kiss. 

Jensen's fingers bump against his own as Jared gives his dick a quick jerk and Jared pulls back to catch his eyes when Jensen joins him on the upstroke, running his hand up and down the thick length of Jared's dick. His hands are paler than Jared's but no less calloused from his time working inside the ludus rather than out under the blazing sun of the arena and Jared turns his head to kiss the fingers of Jensen's other hand where it rests on his shoulder. 

Jared's hand shifts down, stroking Jensen's dick as Jensen strokes his, and he smiles when he watches Jensen bite back a moan.

"You- You can fuck me," Jensen says, his strokes stuttering as he looks at Jared for approval. "There's enough oil."

They've done this enough to times for Jared to know that Jensen wouldn't be offering if he wasn't willing but when he looks at the rings of bruises on Jensen's wrists, the prospect of holding Jensen down and fucking him raw doesn't seem all that appealing.

"I'm good with this," Jared promises, kissing him by way of reassurance. "Although I wouldn't say no to being more horizontal."

Jensen laughs, the tension in his shoulders ebbing away as he shifts off Jared's lap to let him lie down on the bed. Jared's hand doesn't leave Jensen's ass as he coaxes his leg back over his hip, manhandling Jensen into position astride his thighs. 

He's smaller than Jared, skinny and lithe and so damn pretty that it makes Jared's chest hurt just to look at him sometimes, but as Jensen leans down to let their dicks slide together, Jared can't think of anyone in the empire that he'd rather be sharing his bed with.

The fading light outside the window falls on Jensen's cheek, catching the green of his eyes and the red of the cut on his temple, and Jared loses his familiar anger in a thorough kiss. Jensen's hips keep moving against him, grinding down to find that perfect friction against Jared's cock, and Jared can't quieten his pleased moan when Jensen's lips leave his.

His eyes stay closed as he basks in the building heat of Jensen's body against his but opens them with a grin when Jensen says, "You're not gonna fall asleep on me, are you?"

Laughing, Jared gives his ass a playful grope and promises, "I'm right here." He cants his hips up to meet the slide of Jensen's dick against his stomach but groans when the muscles in his legs protest at the movement. "Just kind of slow-moving."

There's a glint in Jensen's eye when he teases, "I did offer you a massage."

"You did," Jared agrees, humming in satisfaction as the rub of Jensen's dick against his grows more needy. "You should just make all my choices for me. You're much better at it than I am."

Even the teasing compliment draws a bashful smile from Jensen and Jared kisses him with renewed enthusiasm as he shifts his hips. He would spend days complimenting Jensen if it meant he got to see that surprised little smile every time.

The new angle of his hips lets Jensen's dick catch his just right and Jared sucks in a breath when he realizes just how close he is to completion. Jensen stays with him, eyes locked together as he rolls his hips down in steady thrusts, and Jared runs his fingers through Jensen's short hair to haul him into a messy kiss. 

Heat arcs through him, a sun blazing in his belly instead of in the sky above him, and he doesn't know if it's exhaustion or desperation fueling him when he murmurs against Jensen's lips, "I love you." Jensen blinks in surprise, cheeks flushed and thrusts slowing, but Jared barrels on, too far gone to stop himself, "And I know bad things happen and I shouldn't get distracted but I- I hate it. I want to hurt the people who hurt you."

Jensen's lips curve in a softer smile than Jared was expecting. His thrusts pick up again, firm and wanting, and Jared moans at the renewed friction on his dick where it's caught between their bodies. 

"You don't think I feel the same way every time you come back from a fight?" Jensen says gently. "You don't think I want to hurt whoever did this to you?" His fingers skim Jared's collarbone, tracing the line of the gash even as the slide of his hips stays constant. "But I know my limits, just like you have to know yours." He smiles, ducking down to kiss the corner of Jared's mouth. "Making you feel better has been working out for me so far."

Jared smiles as he kisses him back. "What would I do without you?"

"Complain about someone else's stitching." His nose brushes Jared's and the heat of his words flows over Jared's skin as he whispers, "I love you too."

His hips jerk forward, stuttering as he loses his rhythm, and Jared arches his back to get that rub of extra friction as Jensen comes with a moan. He almost sounds surprised by it, burying his face in Jared's good shoulder while he shakes apart on top of him, thighs trembling either side of Jared's hips as he rides out the flare of his release.

His movements slow enough to keep Jared from tipping over the edge too and Jared cards his fingers through Jensen's sweat-soft hair as he reaches down between their bodies with his free hand. Jensen's come is hot on his dick and belly and coats the back of Jared's hand as he works his dick with mindlessly fast pumps, bringing himself to completion just as Jensen starts to recover. 

The hit of his orgasm snatches his breath, the sun inside his chest exploding into light as he cries out in pleasure. The heat inside him and around him is almost too much and he gasps through the aftershocks as he pulls cool air into his lungs. 

When he comes down, he's not sure he can move and so is impossibly grateful when Jensen eases himself off to settle on the bed next to him. Jared's still blinking away light as Jensen wipes them both down but he's back to lying beside him before Jared can protest too much at his absence. 

Jared's skin prickles at the sudden absence of heat and he pulls Jensen into a lazy embrace as they stretch out together on the blankets before mumbling into Jensen's hair, "I love you."

"You said," Jensen points out but he's smiling as he tucks himself in against Jared's body.

"I mean it," Jared says. He's too tired from the day's exertion to figure out better words but he wants Jensen to understand. "Not because of this-" He waves his hand in the general direction of their bodies and then at Jensen's black eye. "-or that. Just because of you."

"Me too," Jensen says, and Jared can't decide whether his smile is sad or just tired. It soon tips over to relaxed again when he reaches up to push Jared's hair out of his face and kisses him on the lips. "Now get some rest. Make sure you keep coming back alive."

"Yes, sir," Jared says around a yawn. 

Cuddled up against him, Jensen closes his eyes and Jared finds himself avoiding the beckoning arms of sleep for a few more moments as he watches Jensen sleep beside him.

The bruise around Jensen's eye is darkening to purple and Jared runs his thumb over the edge of it as Jensen's breathing evens out in sleep. Frustration gnaws at him, at his ignorance of who made those marks, but as Jensen curls closer on sleepy instinct, Jared does his best to put it out of his mind, for Jensen's sake as much as his own.

The satisfying ache of battle fades to a general ache of exhaustion and with one last kiss to Jensen's temple, Jared joins him in surrendering to sleep.


End file.
